Who’s ready for the second book in the Zaria Fierce Trilogy? I am!!! Tonight I completed the second draft of Zaria Fierce and the Enchanted Drakeland Sword. Here are the new totals: Second Draft: 42,936 words Total writing time in draft: 3 days 21 hours 52 minutes The next draft I will focus on all the […]

I was doodling while on the phone and this is what came out. It’s theoretically Zaria, although it didn’t start there. I started with practicing drawing braids, which I’ve never really done before successfully. My favorite part is her boots. I just love the cutaway on the one, which shows off her socks.

I was playing around the other day doodling Olaf’s face and I liked it so much I thought I would finish the piece. He’s supposed to look mean and scary but I’m told he’s much too wise looking. I think it’s the hands. He’s supposed to be reaching out for Zaria in a menacing way, […]

Welcome everyone! Join me over at Meredith’s blog, All ‘Bout Them Books and Stuff for part two in an interview series with Eoghan Kerrigan, the illustrator for Zaria Fierce! Learn Eoghan’s favorite characters and see some of his favorite drawings. Meredith also reviewed Zaria Fierce and had this to say: Overall, this was a fantastic […]

Review: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Summary: Sara Crewe, a little girl who grew up in India is taken to London by her father to attend Miss Minchin’s Seminary for Girls. Sara must learn to live on her own and navigate the schoolroom and its students. Good thing she’s good at storytelling, playing pretend and supposing or life would be tough for this odd little heiress.

Why I started this book:

I have loved the 1995 movie for ages and ages. Heard it was a book (how did this escape me?) and decided to pick it up and read it.

Likes:

It’s surprisingly easy to read and while there are a few big words here and there that might slip the grasp of a younger child, it is a breeze to get through. A rarity I’ve found in classics.

There’s a more believable reason for Sara to become a beggar than in the movies where the government seems to have unfairly seized everything. In the book he loses it on speculation for diamond mines.

The sparrows outside her attic window and the rat family inside the walls.

Ermengarde as the friend and Lavinia as the enemy.

Toss-Up:

Sara is so immensely likeable because of how kind she is and how brave she is and how she handles herself in the face of adversity and tough situations. Sometimes she’s so strong you break for her. The book can be very sad at times. I cried once or twice wile reading her supposing about being a Princess when she was practically a beggar.

Sara’s relationship with Lottie as her “mother.” That didn’t gel so well with me.

Becky. Surprising.

Dislikes:

Miss Amelia is not nearly so likeable a character in the books as she’s in the movie versions of this story. I was sad about that.